


Arya's Story

by RamenCat



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Arya Stark-centric, BAMF Arya Stark, Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, No Incest, Reunions, Written before s8 aired, also dany, gendrya if u squint(so far), i just want the starks to have nice things, this is readable as a oneshot as idk if it will be updated, tw for general arya backstory things, very chill story for the source material
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:40:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23680048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RamenCat/pseuds/RamenCat
Summary: Jon, Daenerys, and everyone else are finally arriving at Winterfell. Jon's anxious to finally see his brother and sister again, but discovers that some of his companions know more of Arya's past than he does. And the more he learns, the more his concern grows.Basically, I was upset that half the people who went north of the wall knew Arya, but NONE of them seemed to talk to Jon about it. I wanted more Arya & Jon, and her family processing Arya's fucked up circumstances and how powerful that she's become. *Sort of* canon-compliant through 08x1. A bit of a collection of missing scenes, playing a bit fast and loose with canon.
Relationships: Arya Stark & Gendry Waters, Arya Stark & Sansa Stark, Arya Stark/Gendry Waters, Jon Snow & Arya Stark, Jon Snow & Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow & Gendry Waters, Jon Snow & Sansa Stark
Comments: 17
Kudos: 146





	1. Chapter 1

It was a bright morning— warm for winter. The sunlight gleamed off the heavy snow of the night before, casting the caravans of people bound for Winterfell and the war beyond in the light of dawn. To some of the northerners’ surprise, the Dragon Queen rode beside them on horseback, along with the collection of men who ventured north of the wall, and a collection of their other most loyal attendants. Rhaegal and Drogon soared high above, roaring the arrival of Daenerys Targaryen for all to hear. Jon had explained that Winterfell was never meant to house dragons- it simply lacked the space. There wasn't much point to riding the dragons ahead. After Viserion’s death, Dany wanted to let them roam a bit. To hunt.

“Are we nearing Winterfell?” she asked the man on the mare beside her.

“Yes. I must admit that I'm anxious to return and see my sister and brother. It's been a long time,” Jon Snow responded.

“How long?” Dany inquired. She had always been curious, and felt comfortable enough with the man to be blunt.

“Six years, I suppose. I thought them both dead at times.” Overhearing their conversation from his guard's place beside them, The Hound chimed in.

“Doesn't surprise me at all your sister survived all these years. Resourceful little cuss.” Jon Snow pulled his mare to a halt, turning to the man in incredulity.

“You know my sister?”

“Aye, I travelled with her for a time. Planned to take her back to your family. For the money,” Sandor justified.

“Why didn't you?” Jon asked, continuing their pace once more.

“By the time we reached the twins, they were already gone. She slipped me. Had to knock ‘er out just to keep her from trying to take on them all by herself after she saw what they did to that wolf of your brother's.” Jon nearly shuddered— he’d been told of the desecration of his brother's body. He hadn't realize Arya had been near the red wedding.

“And after that?” Jon asked.

“Tried to take her to the Eyrie. Your Aunt died before I could get her there. That was when  _ she _ showed up. That Lady knight, Brienne of Tarth. Said she was sworn to your mother. Didn't believe her, then. Ended up having my arse kicked off a cliff.” Clegane snorted. “Your sister came up to me, after the lady Knight left. Took my gold and left me to bleed. Took me off her list though.” After a few moments of stunned silence from Jon, Dany's curiosity got the better of her.

“Her list?” she asked.

“Aye. Of people she planned to kill. Said I had done enough. Think Thoros was still on that list when he died. You'll probably ‘ave to request a royal pardon for Dondarrion,” Sandor continued, laughter in his voice.

“Why were they on this… list?” Jon asked. His voice only shook a little bit.

“Fuck if I know. Probably because they sold that one-” He indicated Gendry with his head. “to The Red Woman. Think she was on her list too.”

“Does  _ everyone  _ know Arya? How have you not mentioned this to me?” Jon's tone was more perplexed than angry.

“All probably figured she was dead. Ask them.” Sandor rode ahead, signalling the end of the conversation. Jon was stunned into silence for a few minutes.

“Gendry!” he called ahead.

“Yes, m’lord?” The title felt foreign to Jon’s ears.

“Come here for a moment. I'd like to talk to you.” Gendry pulled his stallion to the side and waited for Jon and Daenerys.

“Gendry, how do you know my sister?” Jon asked, the waver now gone from his voice.

“Well that's… a long story. We were friends. We travelled together for close to two years after she left King’s Landing,” Gendry explained.

“How did she get out?” Jon asked.

“Same way I did. The Night’s Watch. A man named Yoren disguised her as an orphan boy and snuck her out with the rest of the recruits. Thanks to your father's urging, the blacksmith I was apprentice to sent me to take the black as well. I figured out she was a girl, and she trusted me with who she was.” Gendry sniffed. “As you know, we never made it to the wall. The goldcloaks were chasing bastards, and had little respect for The Night's Watch. A fight broke out. They killed Yoren, and captured those who were left. Arya saved these three murderers Yoren had locked up from burning alive. She also tricked the Queen’s men into thinking another boy who was already dead was me. Saved my life. I'm also lucky he stole my helmet, I suppose. After that, we ended up in Harrenhall.” Jon sucked in a sharp breath.

“While it was under the Boltons?”

“Aye. Twas’nt pleasant. Got better after Tywin Lannister stepped in. Arya ended up his cupbearer, if you can believe it. The only reason we managed to get out was that one of those murderers she rescued felt he owed a debt. Said he'd kill three men for her. She chose one who'd been torturing the captives, and another who’d discovered her. She named the killer last, saying she'd only unname him if he helped us escape.” Gendry barked out a short, sardonic laugh. “Your sister's cleverness saved my life more times than I can count. After that, we ended up with The Brotherhood. The Hound showed up and tells them who Arya really is. Arya told them about how he killed her friend, and they put him on trial. By combat, of course. He won. Had to hold her back from trying to kill him afterwards. That was when The Brotherhood decided to sell me to  _ her. _ ”

“Melisandre?” Jon asked.

“Yeah, her. Don't know what happened to Arya after that. I'm happy she's alive. She kept talking about you. Part of the reason I knew I could trust you.”

“Thank you, Gendry. Knowing a bit of my sister’s story after all this… it's comforting,” Jon replied.

“Nothing to be thankful for, m’lord. If she were my sister, I'd want to know what happened to her.” They rode in silence for a few moments.

“Gendry, why didn't you  _ tell _ me?” Jon asked. Gendry sighed.

“I was planning on joining the brotherhood. Leaving her. I know it hurt her. I figured that I had to… make it up somehow. She told me she wanted me making swords for her brother. Funny how things worked out in the end, that I ended up serving another King in the North.”

“Serving  _ beside _ another King in the North.” John looked over at Daenerys. And besides, I no longer claim that title.”Jon was rather taken aback by the blacksmith’s honesty. The boy really trusted him. It seemed to Jon as if Gendry was tired of hiding all of his truths, and now that he no longer had to, they came spilling out of him like water from a floodgate. “And, Gendry, you've more than proven yourself to me. You proved yourself with the first words you said to me. You have nothing to ‘make up.’” Gendry responded with a somewhat melancholic smile.

“Thank you, M’lord,” he responded. Jon spent most of the rest of the day mulling in silence over his sister's story. He wondered where she went after leaving The Hound. He hoped it was a better place than the rest of the past he now knew.

He feared that it wasn't.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not necessarily a direct continuation of last chapter... This can be read as being just after Arya and Jon reunite in the Godswood in 8x01. Sansa and Jon discuss Petyr Baelish. Short and sweet thing I wrote a while back. Your comments mean a lot to me!! Hopefully, I have a few more chapters coming. Working on a little sparring scene between Arya and Sandor, with commentary from Dany's advisors. :)

After their arrival in Winterfell, Jon had been anxious to talk with Sansa privately. The streets were abuzz with recent happenings, and he needed to know the story behind the rumors he’d been hearing about Lord Petyr Baelish. The conversation had quickly grown heated.

“You're telling me you had  _ Arya _ execute him? Why? She's little more than a child, what were you thinking?” Sansa sighed in response.

“Jon, you don't understand.” Sansa looked at her hands, cupped around a goblet of wine like it was her anchor. “She isn't… Arya isn't the little girl who left Winterfell all those years ago. Even I don't know what happened to her. Honestly, I'm ashamed to admit it, but I’ve been too afraid to ask.” Jon's incredulous expression softened a bit.

“What exactly do you mean?” he questioned.

“When Arya first came back, I was thrilled to see her, but, after a time, I grew afraid of her.” Sansa looked up from her hands, looking Jon in the eyes. “I assume you've heard stories about Brienne of Tarth?” Jon nodded.

“Hear she beat the hound in open combat. We met in King’s landing. She impressed me a great deal,” he responded.

“Well, Arya asked to train with her.” Jon chuckled, but Sansa’s face remained blank. “Jon, she matched her. I know little about swordplay, but Arya’s not yet ten and seven, and the dual ended with both their blades at each other's throats.” The laughter was gone from Jon’s face now.

“Seven hells,” he whispered. He wondered if the missing pieces of his sister’s past was worse than what he had already heard.

“Lord Baelish saw the fight as well. He tried to use that against us. It was more than that though.” Sansa paused to take a sip of her wine. “She saw potential enemies everywhere at first, even in me. She questioned my loyalty to you. To our family. She threatened me. I was scared. Lord Baelish knew this; he saw that weakness. He tried to convince me that Arya was planning on killing me. Obviously, he failed.” Jon took a minute to absorb this.

“On the kingsroad I found out that some of my companions had seen her more recently than me. Dondarrion, The Hound, Robert Baratheon’s bastard son… she's been busy.” Jon recounted what he had been told on the way to Winterfell. “Nobody really knows what happened to her between then and now,” Jon finished. Sansa looked up at him.

“I think it's time we asked her.”

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this forever ago, and have more chapters partially written, including Sansa and Bran. I'm not sure if I'll finish and post them, because my memory of the characters and events has somewhat faded lmao... if people are interested I might try to finish it :)


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